Her Side Project

I am a big fan of Kristin Armstrong’s blog: Mile Markers. It’s featured on Runners World website, a place for people who run or just think about running (…), but Kristin’s blog is so much more than that. She intertwines her thoughts on spirituality, fitness, her personal experiences with friends/family and various events to eloquently explain her take on this thing we call Life. She is so, so gifted.

Her most recent post was about photography (specifically, how people view themselves in photos.) It’s too good not to share. Please enjoy the following excerpt from the wise and talented Kristin Armstrong:

“An interesting thought occurred to me about photographs.

Have you ever noticed the way people, particularly women, look back at old photographs of themselves and are wistful?  “Oh, I looked so young then!”  “Look at my skin!” (*sigh*)  “Good grief, I was so skinny!  And here I thought I was heavy at the time!”  “Awww, look at us, just gorgeous.  We had no clue.”

No one ever really mentions that just as we had no clue at the time, there might exist the possibility that we have no clue right now.  Captured moments of today are the wistfulness of tomorrow. I guarantee that just as we can look back at a photo from ten years ago and appreciate ourselves, ten years from now we will look at a photo from today and think the same damn thing.  How come nobody brings this up?  Wouldn’t this awareness bring us a certain measure of peace?

Can you imagine the liberation if we could just appreciate ourselves right now?  Who we are, where we are, what we look like?  If we could just look in the mirror long enough for a basic once-over and a smile-wink and be done with it?   If we were too content and confident to critique?

…

Savor yourself.  Cut yourself some slack.  Appreciate your beauty.  Wink at yourself in the mirror.  Tell your husband he has nice buns.  Tell your wife she’s hotter than she was yesterday.  Tell your children how you see them.  Tell your parents thank you.  Remind your friends who they are.

After all, ten years from now, right now will be ten years ago.  Moments are like fireflies.  You are a runner, so go chase them.  Cup them carefully in your hands and watch the glow seep through your fingers.  Don’t miss it.”

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